underhammer

[nitroproof]

I'd had a H&A Heritage .45 back in the 70's and have always regretted trading it off.

Picked up this underhammer rifle at a local gun show in the Fall of '14. Turned out to have a 1:28 Green Mountain LRH barrel.
Went for the Lee combo mold 320gr REAL bullet + Round Ball. To my delight it shoots a RB w/40 grains at the same point of aim as the REAL bullet w/80 grains of Pyrodex R/S @ 50 yds.
Over the winter I modified the forend and added the PG spur. Refinished it rust brown and redid the wood.

[richhodg66]

I've always been intrigued with these. I used to hunt a lot with a muzzle loader and killed a lot of deer with one. Mine was always heavy and ungainly it seems, always thought one of these would be nicer to handle and point.

Nice rifle and good job on the refinish. Looks like you have your practice load and hunting load figured out now.

[waarp8nt]

Looks real nice. I like the upgrades you have completed. Is that an oil finish on the wood?

I picked up my first underhammer recently, but have to do a little barrel work before I fire it. It is the buggy rifle edition with a 20 inch barrel, however someone drilled it for a Williams sight and drilled into the chamber just in front of the breech plug.

[nitroproof]

Fish scale reads 7.5 pounds... 32" - 7/8" barrel... 48.5" O/A.

[nitroproof]

Tung oil finish

[Mk42gunner]

There was quite a discussion here several years ago about building underhammer rifles. I always thought a brass framed one looked pretty good.

One of these days...

Robert

[Newtire]

I see that you can get actions and complete rifle kits from Pecatonica Rifle Works. I think they are pretty cool looking rifles. Going to find out how mine shoots tomorrow in fact. Have some Black MZ and 777 3f to start with. Thanks for the load info.

[big bore 99]

Nice lookin rifle. I have an old one in .58 cal. A real thumper.

[dondiego]

How did you mount the aperture sight on the round receiver?

[nitroproof]

How did you mount the aperture sight on the round receiver?

The base was machined to match the contour... was installed when I bought it. It's an Armstrong sight, only one I've ever seen.

[dondiego]

Is it mounted in the wood or metal? Any idea where I might find a mount base like that?

[oldracer]

I have a H&A 58 caliber underhammer and it shoots great at least out to 100 yards. I bought it on a whim and the original owner had only shot it twice, his buddy told him to use 120 grains of FFG with the patched round ball and he said it nearly took his shoulder off! Great for me and I shoot it with 80 of FFG, no recoil issues.

I have the parts coming from Pecatonica River to make a 45 caliber, 1 in 18 twist slug gun with a 34 inch barrel. I am getting the Allen action as it has an adjustment for trigger pull so I can lighten it up some. I plan to use one of the 209 primer adapters and an extra set of tang sights I have with a Lyman globe front sight. I plan to blue all the metal and probably use clear lacquer for the finish, but not sure yet? It will have striped maple for the furniture so clear lacquer looks very good.

I think you will enjoy your underhammer very much and they are always a conversation started at the range for sure!

[bubba.50]

Is it mounted in the wood or metal? Any idea where I might find a mount base like that?

H&A underhammers had a threaded hole in the rear of the receiver to accommodate a rather odd peepsight they used to make. it looks like his base is mounted to that hole.

[dondiego]

My H&A type receiver from Pecatonica doesn't have the hole. Guess I could drill and tap one. Thanks Bubba........and have a gooden'.

[nitroproof]

As there are only two tapped holes on the side of the block and the hole for the mounting screw any hobby machinest/gunsmith could make a base. My rifle most likely was a
kit from Pecatonica or other source.

[bedbugbilly]

Nice job! Very good looking rifle and that rear sight out to be just the berries!

I had a H & A in 45 caliber many years ago and like an idiot, I sold it. Later, when Deer Creek was making them, I ordered a 36 caliber from them and picked it up from them at Friendship. Out of the box, I took it over to the line and was shooting 1" groups at 25 yards with components that I picked up in the sheep sheds on the way over to shoot. I still have it and it is a great rifle!

A year ago, I bought a H & A 45 caliber. It needed work and it is still in progress. I'm going to brown the barrel and probably pour a pewter nose cap for it.

Pecatonica has the components but I really don't care for their stock designs. I'm going to order the action but I want to make my own stock - a more traditional style with a crescent butt plate. I'm toying with the idea of putting a full length foreshock on it but will decide that during the build. I still have some GM barrels from when I built rifles so may make ti so I can interchange barrels in several calibers.

Years ago, I shot with a round ball group once a month - very low key and just a good group of guys. Homer Dangler was one of them and he used to bring some of his custom rifles/smoothbores to try out. Everyone tossed a trinket on a blanket and according to shooting standing for the day, winner got first pick, etc. Most of the targets were "novelty type" - might be suckers, an X on a wood shingle, etc. One of the guys who was usually there had a H & A under hammer that was rebarreled in a 32 caliber barrel - about 3/4" across the flats and maybe 32" or so. He carried all of his shooting supplies - caps, balls, patches in an old musket cap tin. He took a lot of good natured kidding but he and that little under hammer usually out shot us all whether the others were using production rifles or our custom built ones.

I love the under hammers. Very simple, good for a lefty or a righty, a nipple directly into the barrel with very rarely a misfire, and a nice authentic and historical long gun. Just doesn't get any better! Add an interchangeable smoothbore barrel in a smaller gauge and you have a good "bunny thumper" too!

bubba - I remember the rear peep sights that you refer to. When the H & A was sold many years ago - I remember them being advertised in the early 60s in such magazines such as Popular Mechanics, etc. - there were several models that they offered. One had no foreshock - one had a foreshock and a curled trigger guard to dress it up that sat behind the spring loop trigger guard , one had a matchbox, etc. The first one I had was the model without any foreshock and the one I picked up last year has a forestock. Neither have the receiver drilled for their rear peep. I'm pretty sure that that particular sight was only on a specific model that they sold - kind of a "deluxe" model so to speak. Both of the H & As I've had/have came with a adjustable rear sight that was dovetailed in to the barrel. Both of those rifles had Numerich barrels on them - good quality barrels and good rifling but not always spot on caliber wise. If I remember correctly, H & A also offered an under hammer that had gain twist rifling in it - marketed as being "more accurate". I've never seen on in person but I'm assuming that they were probably Numerich barrels as well. That's been a lot of years ago and many miles so the old memory may be a little fuzzy.

[BPJONES]

Nice looking rifle. I just picked up a 45 caliber under hammer custom made rifle from 1966, my first one. I'll post some pics when I receive it.

[waarp8nt]

Attachment 164882

My Numrich H&A action has a threaded hole for a sight. The factory sight for that hole doesn't appear to be much more than a thumb screw with a hole drilled into it. The magazine backwoodsman had an article on how to make one similar to it. The brass part between the action and stock is just a spacer.

[bubba.50]

the H&A sight was simply a threaded shaft that screwed into that hole & had a knurled ring that locked it down when ya got the elevation where ya wanted it. on the top it had a rectangular bracket that held the peep aperture/backin' plate. ya loosened the aperture/backin' plate to slide it right or left for windage adjustment.

[John Taylor]

Brass does look good on an under hammer. This one has a 1" diameter action and a 32 cal. barrel. Sight is threaded to the action with a thumb screw that hits flat sides on the sight threads to keep it from turning. 1/2 turn on the sight gives about 1/2" at 100 yards. Engraving was done by Dale Woody at gunfancy.com